Meet Washington Olin’s MBA Class of 2018

Gabriel Ortiz-Barroeta

Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Trilingual, innovative, and collaborative global citizen who thinks outside of the box.

Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have lived in 5 different countries and one of my passions is learning about different cultures and ways people see the world.

Undergraduate School and Major: BA in Political Science with Honors at The University of Toronto

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

Taorba International Trade and Commerce Inc.

Beijing, World Learning, State Grid Corporation of China.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest accomplishment so far in my career was founding and international trade start-up during my third year of undergrad, which helped pay for tuition and enabled me to graduate.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? There are two pieces of advice that I would give to all future business school applicants. The first is to put in a lot of hours studying for either the GMAT or GRE. Do hundreds of practice exercises until you become confident with all types of problems. When taking the exam, trust your knowledge and manage your time effectively.

The second is to become an effective storyteller. Everybody has a story to tell, but only a few can do so in an engaging way. The ability to effectively communicate who you are and why you want to pursue an MBA degree at this point in your career will differentiate you from the rest of the applicants.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I chose Olin’s MBA program because of its entrepreneurial emphasis. Although I am not planning to be an entrepreneur in the foreseeable future, I do acknowledge how important it is to have an entrepreneurial mindset. Employees and managers who think like entrepreneurs are, in my opinion, a company’s most important asset because they think outside of the box and come up with solutions to challenging problems.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I want to work in different roles within the finance department of a publicly-traded company in order to accumulate as much experience as possible.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would like them to see me as someone who was always willing to help others. I believe that collaboration is the key to success.